Millennium-Old Sunken Wood

Millennium-Old Sunken Wood

Inside the Lianghu Guild Hall in the ancient city district of Liping County, there is a massive sunken wood log made of Chinese fir. Sunken wood refers to timber that has been buried underground for a long time due to geological shifts, usually consisting of hardy and durable species like Chinese fir. This enormous log is currently the largest known excavated sunken wood in China. It was unearthed on June 9, 1992, in Aoshi Town, Liping County, Guizhou Province. The log stands 2.4 meters tall, with a base diameter of 2.31 meters and a breast height diameter of 2.08 meters. Its growth rings number between 1,366 and 1,436, and researchers from the laboratory of the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences have dated its growth period to at least 3,500 years ago.

Aoshi Town: Originally named Aoyu Zui (Crocodile Mouth), the town got its name because a small hill near the eastern part of the village resembles the shape of a crocodile, and people settled at the eastern foot of the hill—where the “crocodile’s mouth” is—during the early Ming Dynasty. Since its establishment as a town on June 30, 1953, Aoshi Town has a history of 51 years.

Located in the northern part of Liping County, Aoshi Town is 34 kilometers away from the county seat. To the east lies Gaotun Town within the same county, and it is 12 kilometers from Liping Airport. To the southwest, it connects with Luoli Township of the same county, and to the north, it borders Longli Township and Qimeng Town of Jinping County. It is 4 kilometers from the ancient cultural town of Longli and 40 kilometers from the Sanbanxi Hydropower Station. The town is adjacent to six townships across two neighboring counties (including Aoshi... More details about Aoshi Town++)